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Pen Pencil Tool Caddy Holder Organizer Stand

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Sure, when working with a bunch of tools you can pile up all the things you use on your workbench or table or throw them in a small container to keep them handy. But you will have to dig through that mess or clutter to find what you need again.

Make this tool organizer so that you can quickly put a tool down but have it instantly ready for use when you reach for it.

This can also be made for holding cooking utensils or anything that you have a bunch of stick-like things to organize and store - umbrellas, light sabers…

Step 1: Sweep It Under...

You can scale this up or down in size as needed.

Select a brush from natural bristle to be gentle and not scratch something like your fine writing instruments or make with a push broom head if you are making a hand tool organizer.

The bigger and stiffer bristles will work better in supporting a heavier object.

The bristle density can be coarser to better conform to the shape of a pair of pliers or open jawed wire strippers.

Cut off any handles so that mating brush heads are of uniform size.

Pair them up by pressing each other face to face. The bristles should intertwine about 1/4 to half way the length of the bristles.

Form a collar to box in the combined brush heads.

Just take measurements right off the placement of the brush heads.

You don’t have to be too accurate and if you allow for a tiny bit over, it makes it easier to insert or remove the brush heads from the compartment for cleaning of any debris that gets in there.

The brush heads just rest in the box and do not need to be permanently attached.

Glue it all up to construct.

You could do all kinds of fancy joinery or reinforcement but simple butted joints work well.

Step 2: Get Some Legs to Stand On...

I wanted the brush head container to have openings in the bottom so that an object can pass through and the brush bristles would support the sides of the object.

I used some 3/8th inch square stock to form an open grille on the bottom. You could use dowels or anything similar, even have a flat bottom and drill out holes.

I cut and glued some more wood pieces to give the brush head cages some height to better accommodate and support something like longer screwdrivers or a long ruler that might flop over in a short stand.

Build the brush head cage and the bottom stand separately so it is easier to apply the finish later.

I sanded all surfaces and rounded all the edges for a neater appearance.

A fun thing to do is to print out some graphics to add to the decoration of the piece.

Trim around your graphic and glue to the wood. When dry, apply a clear finish over everything to decoupage the sticker in place.

Step 3: Finish It Off...

I used a batch of cherry wood color poly/stain to give it a more durable finish.

Since I am using a water based finish, it will take a few coats to even out the color, especially with pine wood and ensure the thickness of the finish.

Sand lightly between coats to smooth out any raised wood grain or bumps in the finish.

When dry, I used E6000 glue to permanently join the brush head cage to the bottom stand base.